THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN THAILAND

The insurgents in the southern provinces of Thailand staged a coordinated bomb attack killing 14 people and injuring as many as 350 on Saturday, 31^st March and it was the worst attack in recent times.  The first one exploded in a busy street of Yala city and the bomb was hidden in a pick up truck.  The other one exploded about 20 minutes later in a car parked nearby the 1^st explosion site in the same street when people were gathering after the 1st explosion. A bomb also exploded kept in a car parked near an high rise hotel in Hat Yai city. This is the first time such a coordinated and well planned attack is made in Thailand and the warning is that insurgents are gaining strength and have attained the know-how to stage a planned multi area attack.

 Three provinces of Southern Thailand, Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani,  were a separate entity called the Malay Muslim Sultanate before it was annexed to Thailand. The Malay Kingdoms were Islamized long past in 13^th century and adopted name as Pattani Kingdom. The three provinces which have a different culture could not align with the Buddhist Thai nation. This is the crux of the problem. The economic backwardness is another factor. The insurgency has by now killed thousands of people and the country could not find a solution yet as there are problems related to religion, ethnicity, poverty, lack of education etc and, fortunately, no link with mainstream terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda could be traced so far.

The queer thing about it is that they have not put up any particular demand like separate state or separate administrative set up other than silently killing people and no particular group take up responsibility. It shows the groups have not fully developed in to a hard core terrorist out fit like elsewhere in the world. However they are gathering strength and unless the Thai Government found a solution to deal them the violence and terrorism have every chance to escalate into serious proportions.

The Yingluck Government is young and has been facing problems like floods
etc ever since it took power. She wants the dialogue way for the problem whereas the Military wants strong-arm methods against the insurgents. The Prime Minister’s method of finding a solution thru dialogue seems sane considering the history of terrorism round the world. The U.S has been at war with terrorists in Afghanistan for a decade and yet it is no where near an end.

 Thailand is known as a ‘ land of smiles’because of the people's courteous behavior  and tourism is a big industry there. Terrorists are no friends of tourists and it makes the situation serious and a solution urgent.

 Image: Google

  

NO SMILE FOR THAILAND

 THE country Thailand is passing thru a very critical phase as protesters against the Govt occupied the Bangkok airport and the air traffic was halted and thousands of travelers stranded costing the country millions of dollars every day. Now neither the P.M nor the protesters have a mood for discussion despite the emergency.


 Thailand is a wonderful country with the people courteous and god fearing.They also respect elders.There is a  saying that people get  their rulers according to their nature.  But this has not come true to Thailand, unfortunately.


In 1997 the country's  first constitution was written and election held in 2001. There were good turn out for the election and  a Govt.was formed after the election. Also the Govt completed its term of 4 years rather successfully. The next election in 2005 was also held successfully.


 However the Govt formed after the 2005 election was corrupt and upon widespread allegation it resigned and a new election held in 2006.As the ruling candidates were the same ones the opposition boycotted the election and the election resulted in choosing the old guards again


However in a short while a military junta overthrew the Govt and took over the government   The present Govt.is the product of the military junta and  people want the P.M.to resign and the P.M.is in no mood to give up the post. That is the crux of the present problem. The stalemate continues.


 Now in 2012 : The Time is the best negotiator and healer of problems. In 2007 the military junta relaxed their rules and allowed democracy to come back, After many twists and turns in politics from 2008 to 2011, in July 2011 the opposition Thai Party led by Yingluck Shinawatra, youngest sister of Thakshin Shinawatra, won in the General election and  she formed a Government and it is running smoothly. It seems the smiles have returned there.